Teaching the Offense

Layer by Layer
The offense is built in layers. There are 17 total. You can’t add the next layer until the
previous layer is mastered. Don’t go to the next layer until the players are bored with the
layer that they are on. Drill them until they hate the drill and they are rolling their eyes at
you. You want the read and react habits to be so automatic that players can focus all their
energy on their defender and reading the defense. If players are constantly stopping and
asking what to do then you are moving through the layers too fast.

Read and React

Each layer is made up of two-player read and react habits. Each layer is taught with
drills to reinforce these habits. Look at the offense as two halves making up the whole.
One half is made up of the 2-player read and react habits. The other half is the 5 player
teaching layers.

Level A – Laying the Foundation

He teaches these layers in a 5-out set but that does not mean they have to be run in a 5-
out set. He does it for simplicity.

Layer 1 - Dribble Penetration & Circle Movement

The first layer teaches the reaction of perimeter players when dribble penetration occurs.
All players on the perimeter circle right or left depending on the direction of
penetration. They circle in the direction of the penetration. This leaves the penetrating
player with the following options:

1) Take the ball all the way to the basket

2) Natural Pitch to adjacent player on the perimeter

3) Kick back to the safety valve; the player filling behind

4) Dish to the baseline cutter

Layer 2 – Dribble Penetration & Baseline Drive

On a baseline drive, the opposite corner must not circle up like the rest of the perimeter
players. He must stay and fill the opposite corner. This is referred to as the baseline
adjustment. It is the natural pitch window for the baseline penetrator. Even if the
opposite corner is empty it must be filled with the closest player on that side of the floor
on a baseline drive. The remaining players on the perimeters have only minor
adjustments. They must fill the 45 degree pitch option, the 90 degree pitch option, and
the safety valve pitch option. The opposite corner is the only real adjustment we make on
a baseline drive.

Layer 3 – Pass and Cut : Scoring and Spacing

Every time you pass the ball to one player away you must always cut to the basket.
Every pass must be turned into a scoring threat with a basket cut. You make a front cut
or a rear cut. Every cut creates good things for your teammates. Every cut takes one of
the immediate help defenders away from the ball. In addition the cut allows your
teammates to fill spots and open up new scoring opportunities.

Two Basic Rules for this layer:

1) When you pass the ball to a teammate one spot away you must basket-cut. This is
rule that the offense will never break. This does not apply to skip passes.

2) Open spots are filled from the baseline up as quickly as possible. This will leave the
basket cutter with an open spot to fill.

Three Scoring Opportunities:

1) Before a pass is made we must be sure the receiver is open. The 19 foot arc is your
Read-Line. If your defender is over the 19 foot arc you must basket-cut. Don’t wait for a
pass just cut.

2) When filling an open spot the player without the ball must view this movement as a
great scoring opportunity. As soon as your defender steps on or over the Read-line then
Rear Cut.

3) When the pass is finally made scoring opportunity #3 presents itself. Passer can
score on a Rear Cut or Front Cut. If defender jumps in denial position then rear cut
straight to the basket. If the defender does not jump to the ball then front cut him. Front
cut and Rear Cut must be drilled to point of reaction.

Layer 4 – Post Reactions to Dribble Penetration

There are two different post reactions to dribble penetration. The reactions are the
same no matter if the post is playing ball side or weak side.

1) Post Slide #1 – When the ball enters the lane above the post player he slides to the
short corner area opening up the lane area. You create separation from the defender and
prepare to receive bounce pass.

2) Post Slide #2 – When the ball enters the lane from the baseline or below the post
player then the post slides up to the free throw line elbow area.

Layer 5 – The Speed Dribble

The speed dribble is an east west dribble. There are three east west dribbles used for
pressure relievers. The other two are power dribble and circle reverse. These two are
more complicated so we cover the speed dribble first. Whenever the ball handler
dribbles at another player on the perimeter that signals for that player to rear cut or back
cut to the basket. Back door bounce pass can be made right off the dribble.

The speed dribble does three things to open up scoring opportunities :

1) It gets the entire team moving

2) It can create an immediate post matchup by sending a player down to the block

3) It also creates a great opportunity for a scoring option for the person filling the
vacated spot.